Natural Resources Management
Monterey County agriculture is unique, and the Resource Conservation District is constantly innovating to identify new ways to conserve natural resources while saving cooperating farmers, ranchers, and other land owners and managers money and time. We focus on the nexus between productive agriculture and environmental sustainability, providing services for soil stability and health, water quality management, water conservation, stream and pond management, livestock areas, weed management, and fish and wildlife habitat.
The RCD has been at the forefront of natural resource management and protection in Monterey County and the Central Coast. We work extensively with growers, ranchers, landowners, and partner organizations and agencies throughout the Central Coast to accomplish our mission. The RCD works closely with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to provide technical assistance to Monterey County landowners, growers and ranchers.
Our Natural Resource Focus Areas:
Soil Stability and Health
Soil health is the foundation for productive plants and landscapes, affecting nutrient and water-holding capacity, rooting depth, disease resistance, runoff and erosion.
Water Quality Management
Managing drainage to benefit the quality of our surface and ground waters is integral to the quality of our environment and human health.
Water Conservation
Farmers and urban residents help conserve California’s precious, limited water resources.
Stream and Pond Management
For landowners who have waterways or water features on their land, streams or ponds may be managed to benefit farm function, fish and wildlife.
Livestock Areas
Livestock owners can steward the nutrients, pathogens and sediments from their facilities to protect local streams and the people and critters dependent upon them.
Vegetation Management
Proper weed management can help increase native plant species, forage quality for wildlife and livestock, wildlife populations, plant diversity, and soil water availability.